Mr. E. S. Yao

A Garland for the Secret Beloved: Visionary Love Poetry Mr. E. S. Yao

A Garland for the Secret Beloved is a celebration of the spirit of love in its many guises, moods, and names. It is subtitled Visionary Love Poetry because many of its poems take place in a universe of visions -- of dreams, myths, and the deeper imaginings of the soul's need to touch another soul in intimacy and sharing. Composed between 2008-2013, Garland is spiritual in nature, but is also infused with the erotic as well as the witty aspects of personal love. The dedication, "To the Eternal Feminine and all her children" speaks of the spirit of the Feminine as it informs all of human experience, and that all creatures are her offspring. Here is a small sample of what you will find inside this exquisite collection of poems. (De-formatted for this introduction). Rumi's Ghost: Beloved one, do not close the door on me,/Or turn me away like the beggar/Which, in truth I am, at least in spirit./Ah, if I could tell you in so many words/Or silent gestures, or mimes of the heart/What it means to be close to thee./But please banish all such thoughts./Only now, open your forgiving arms/As if to embrace this old one./Then together we will lie down,/Watch the moon veil itself with clouds,/As the stars continue on their way.